Yesterday I asked (without answering) a question: why did God accept Abel’s offering but not Cain’s?

In the book of Hebrews, Paul shares his perspective:

By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That’s what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.

~ Hebrews 11:4 The Message

Again, the acceptance had NOTHING to do with the kind of offering given, but instead with the motivation of the heart of the giver. Cain was confused about God’s rejection but was unwilling to humbly ask for feedback from God.

What if Cain had gotten curious? What if he had asked a follow up question? If he had done that, God surely would have told him that his issue was heart-related, not simply an aversion to carrots and potatoes.

At that moment, Cain could have considered God’s perspective. At a minimum, he would have had no reason to kill Abel. It was NOT a competition.

Now that we’ve cleared up the issue with God’s approval and disapproval, tomorrow we will look at God’s response and advice to Cain in spite of Cain’s reluctance to hear another viewpoint.

Is there any chance that some of your own resentment/s is/are more a misunderstanding of the situation than an actual slight? Are there new ways of seeing that might keep you from doing harm to yourself or others as a result of your skewed perspective?